What happens due to lack of empathy in the story?

Misunderstanding and distance increase

Lack of empathy means that people fail to notice, understand, or respect one another’s feelings and intentions. In The Little Girl, Kezia initially cannot understand that her father’s strict appearance may coexist with love, while her father’s harsh manner does not help her express her feelings safely. This gap in emotional understanding produces fear, confusion, and distance between them. Therefore, option C is correct: misunderstanding and distance increase. The other options contradict the normal effect of emotional neglect—relationships do not improve quickly, fear does not disappear automatically, and universal happiness does not result. The story shows that patient understanding is needed to repair a relationship damaged by misinterpretation.

This is a Class 9 English question. Chapter: The Little Girl. Topic: empathy.